1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to food preparation. More particularly, it relates to an environmentally-friendly food-thawing device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most food-thawing devices of the prior art are energy-consuming devices. They typically draw electrical current through resistive heating elements to generate the heat required for thawing. Microwave ovens may also be used; the molecules of moisture in the frozen item oscillate at the same frequency as the microwaves and the resulting friction produces heat.
It is of course well-known that no energy is consumed if a frozen item is simply exposed to room temperature for an extended period of time. However, depending upon the size, mass, temperature, and heat transfer characteristics of the food article, as well as the temperature, humidity and other parameters of the ambient atmosphere, the amount of time required to thaw may be unacceptably long.
What is needed, then, is an environmentally-friendly device that performs the function of food thawing in a relatively short amount of time and in the absence of electrical energy consumption.
The needed device should have a simple yet elegant construction so that is it economical to manufacture and easy to use.
However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled.
The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for a food thawing device that consumes no electrical energy is now met by a new, useful, and nonobvious invention.
In a first embodiment, the novel structure includes a bottom part and a top part of predetermined geometrical configuration. The bottom part has a flat support wall adapted to support a food item. The top part has a flat top wall adapted to abuttingly engage and overlie a food item supported by the support wall. An adjustable spacer means for adjusting a vertical spacing between the bottom and top parts is provided so that the device is adapted to accommodate food items of differing sizes. The adjustable spacer means includes a pair of upstanding posts that slidingly engage respective proximal ends of the top part and the bottom part. The pair of posts includes a first post and a second post.
First and second bores are formed in a proximal end of the bottom part in transversely spaced apart relation to one another and first and second bores are formed in a proximal end of the top part in transversely spaced apart relation to one another. The first bores are in vertical alignment with one another and the second bores are in vertical alignment with one another. The first bores slideably receive the first post and the second bores slideably receive the second post.
In a first embodiment, a plurality of heat transfer fin members is formed integrally with the top part of the novel food thawing device. Each fin of the plurality of heat transfer fins has a broad base and a narrow top and extends the entire longitudinal extent of the top part. The fins could also have an untapered construction.
The top part and the bottom part are of metallic construction, preferably aluminum. Heat from an ambient environment is transferred through the plurality of heat transfer fin members to the food item held in sandwiched relation between the bottom and top parts. Accordingly, the food item thaws rapidly in the absence of electrical energy consumption.
The bottom part has a flat bottom wall of less extent than the flat support wall of the bottom part. A beveled flat wall interconnects respective distal ends of the bottom part support wall and bottom wall. The device is adapted to be supported by a support surface. The flat beveled wall is adapted to squarely overlie the support surface when the proximal end of the bottom part is in predetermined spaced relation to respective bottom ends of the first and second posts so that the flat support wall of the bottom part is sloped downwardly from a proximal end thereof to a distal free end thereof.
A second embodiment also includes a top part and a bottom part of predetermined geometrical configuration but heat transfer fins are formed on both of said top and bottom parts. As in the first embodiment, the bottom part has a flat support wall adapted to support a food item and the top part has a flat top wall adapted to abuttingly engage and overlie a food item supported by the support wall. A plurality of heat transfer fin members is formed integrally with the top wall in upstanding relation thereto and a plurality of heat transfer fin members is formed integrally with the support wall of the bottom part in depending relation thereto. Adjustable spacer means are provided to adjust a vertical spacing between the support wall of the bottom part and the top wall of the top part so that the device is adapted to accommodate food items of differing sizes.
Heat from an ambient environment is transferred through the plurality of heat transfer fin members to the food item held in sandwiched relation between the support and top walls so that a food item disposed therebetween thaws rapidly in the absence of electrical energy consumption. The number of fins is doubled in this second embodiment relative to the first embodiment so the time required to defrost an item is shortened.
The second embodiment also includes a stand that is detachably secured to the distal end of the bottom part. The stand has a low profile so that the support wall is sloped downwardly as in the first embodiment. In both the first and second embodiments, the preferred slope of the support wall is about thirty degrees.
An important object of this invention is to provide a food-thawing device that operates without electrical energy consumption.
A closely related object is to provide a food-thawing device that thaws food quickly.
Another important object is to provide an easy-to-use device that is readily affordable by consumers.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.